The new Qinghai-Tibet Railway is the highest in the world, climbing from 2,829m above sea level at Golmud (Geermu) to 3,641m at Lhasa, much of it built on permafrost.  Its highest point is in the Tanggula Pass, at 16,640 feet (just over 5,000m) above sea level.  Because of the lack of oxygen at that altitude, all passenger coaches have extra oxygen pumped into them, and oxygen is available to passengers through tubes if they have problems. Before the railway was built, travellers had to take a train to Golmud then a gruelling 48 hour bus journey to Lhasa.

In/Out

Terms

Price

Airlines

Schedule

Chengdu→Lhasa

9 Days

1,799,000>1,599,000

China Eastern Airlines

To see schedule
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Chengdu→Lhasa

8 Days

1,549,000

China Eastern Airlines

Sanghai→Lhasa

8 Days

1,449,000

China Eastern Airlines

Sanghai→Lhasa

7 Days

1,419,000

China Eastern Airlines

All trains are air-conditioned with extra oxygen available, and have soft class & hard class sleepers & seats, and restaurant car.  The soft sleepers have 4-berth compartments, complete with personal LCD televisions, occasionally showing English language movies.
Guangzhou = Canton, a few hours' train ride from Hong Kong.
x = the train probably stops, but exact time not known.
Note A = runs every 2nd day (runs on odd dates in Jun, Jul, Sept, Oct 2007, even dates in Apr, May, Aug 2007)
Note B = runs every 2nd day (runs on even dates in Jun, Jul, Sept, Oct 2007, odd dates in Apr, May, Aug 2007)
Note C = runs every second day.

Another train (not shown here) runs daily between Xining & Lhasa, extended to Lanzhou on alternate days.  Many other trains link Beijing, Xian, Lanzhou and Xining.  Beijing-Lhasa is 4,064 km, of which 1,110 km are over the newly-built Qinghai-Tibet railway.